Q. Was this the way of the godly of old?—A. Yes; Nehemiah confessed his sins (Neh 1:6). David confessed his sins (Psa 32:5). Daniel confessed his sins (Dan 9:4). And they that were baptized by John in Jordan confessed their sins (Matt 3:6).
Q. What sins must I confess to God?—A. All sins whatsoever: for 'He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy' (Prov 28:13; 1 John 1:9).
Q. But how if I do neither know nor remember all my sins?—A. Thou must then search and try thy ways by the holy Word of God (Lam 3:40; Psa 77:6).
Q. But how if I do not make this search after my sins?—A. If thou dost not, God will; if thou dost not search them out and confess them, God will search them out and charge them upon thee, and tear thee in pieces for them (Psa 50:21,22).
Q. Where must I begin to confess my sins?—A. Where God beginneth to shew thee them. Observe, then, where God beginneth with conviction for sin, and there begin thou with confession of it. Thus David began to confess, thus Daniel began to confess (2 Sam 12:7-14; Dan 9:3-9).
Q. What must I do when God hath shewed me any sin, to make right confession thereof?—A. Thou must follow that conviction until it shall bring thee to the original and fountain of that sin, which is thine own heart (1 Kings 8:38; Psa 55:5).
Q. Is my heart then the fountain and original of sin?—A. Yes; 'For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man' (Mark 7:21,23).
Q. When a man sees this, what will he think of himself?—A. Then he will not only think but conclude, that he is an unclean thing, that his heart has deceived him, that it is most desperate and wicked, that it may not be trusted by any means, that every imagination and thought of his heart, naturally, is only evil, and that continually (Isa 64:6; Prov 28:26; Isa 44:20; Gen 6:5).
Q. You have given me a very bad character of the heart, but how shall I know that it is so bad as you count it?—A. Both by the text and by experience.
Q. What do you mean by experience?—A. Keep thine eyes upon thy heart, and also upon God's word, and thou shalt see with thine own eyes, the desperate wickedness that is in thine heart, for thou must know sin by the law, that bidding, thee do one thing, and thy heart inclining to another (Rom 7:7-10).